I’ll Never Be The Same After The Rain98 Demo

Only a few months ago, I was at Gamescom, sitting at a modest booth, tuning out the melodic pattering of footsteps and chatter from the nearby hustling attendees, cooped up playing the way-too-short 30-minute cut of Rain98. I distinctly remember how I felt after I left the booth, Reina postcards in hand and the abrupt switch from notes of piano and rain to the barrage of foot traffic and noise in the unfamiliar halls.

I felt hollowed out. Like I’d left a piece of myself in that very game. Sometimes, if you listen close enough, footsteps can sound like rain. A feigned comfort that I was still somewhere else soothed the yearning to experience more.

But that was then, and that day, I was left with a promise: I could play a 3-hour demo soon.

Which now, I have.

I want to dedicate this feature solely to Rain98. A game that goes against the grain of any other psychological horror visual novel I have ever experienced.

This introduction is already getting long, much like those of recipe guides on the web. But before I talk about the recent demo, I encourage you to check out my Gamezebo at Gamescom 2026 Feature, where I talk more about my first-ever time sampling Rain98.

An Interlude of Rain98

Some things changed, I noticed, when playing the demo this time. A beautiful and somewhat serene intro sequence, lavished in a depressing blue, visually striking yet never abrasive. I gasped, audibly gasped, when the intro song began to play. Coming off the back of the Gamescom supercut, experiencing the harrowing questionnaire into the whiplash of a banger song sequence was not at all what I expected, but everything I could ever want.

From now on, my life is in two chapters. Before I played Rain98, and after I played Rain98.

Moody Blues

Rain98 is incredibly moody, and as an artist myself, incredibly inspiring. I’m not just saying this, but blues and blacks are my favourite colour combinations. If it weren’t a cringe thing to do, I’d show you my embodiment of that aesthetic in my pony sona, Fishbone.

Enough on MLP, though; Rain98 has such evocative visuals and illustrations, interwoven poetically with the, at times, daunting melodies. I find that the game organically rummages through my chest, squeezing and tugging, to puppeteer me into feeling certain ways about scenes.

The joyous simplicity of filling gachapons for some quick Yen, to strained ambient tracks that remind me of the underbelly of this game. And, like a predator playing with its prey, I’m between its claws as it fastens tighter in what I falsely thought was domestic familiarity.

Immersed is an understatement. I usually find visual novels to be an interesting gaming genre, as they’re very hands-off and therefore need to do heavy lifting in other elements to keep a reader hooked. As someone who gets bored quickly and would rather read manga in bed than sit at my PC to read, time seemed to escape me during those short three hours of the demo.

Little touches, like the tapping on the window seamlessly merging with the music. It’s cohesive and lulling, ever-moving, like the bobbing of waves, feigning a stillness before a storm.

I never noticed the storm rolling in until it was directly overhead.

Reina

Reina is my troubled fave.

A girl hooked on cigarettes, magazines, and freaky Murby plushies. She alone is the tether to this story. If Reina at all intrigues you, horrifically or emotionally, you will enjoy Rain98.

She is voice-acted beautifully. Such a sullen and moodless voice; every sentence, every sigh, carried weightlessly by the stiff air of that humid apartment. The synergy between Reina’s VA and the art of Rain98 really captures this unique feeling. I, for once, find myself understanding why people spend hours studying museum paintings. Every single frame in Rain98 is wallpaper-worthy, though they’re rarely ever still.

Not to discredit other visual novels, but Rain98 has so much movement in its frames. From the wispy dances of ashen silver cigarette smoke to the idle flipping of pages from Reina’s zine. It’s always moving.

Despite this, the game exists in a purgatory. The story moves along, as do the scenes, but as the MC, I discovered that there’s merit in the little things. Stickers to praise me for taking a slower life.

Collecting bottle caps, visiting the laundromat, trying new foods. In the real world, we rarely find beauty in the smaller things, trained only to focus on the hustle and grind. Yet, Rain98 dismisses this in favour of showing you how to mend the mind of a depressed teenage Angolmois.

Mixed Media

Rain98 dabbles with mixed media. Predominantly experienced through anime-like illustrations, but frequently dedicating different elements to its own stylistic niche. I’ve been doing a lot of pixel art in my free time as of late, and the little pixelated Reina eating animation was super cute.

However, my all-time favourite was the map. The top-down 3D Reina swaggering through the wet metropolis absolutely melted my heart. She is so stinking cute, and I’m such a sucker for those styles of 3D pixel models. Admittedly, I ignored the waypoints for an extra minute just to wander around and admire her little strides.

What’s more, Rain98 transitions nicely between these scenes. The pacing never suffers when showing you something new or tasking you with interactive features. One thing that comes to mind as I’m writing this is that after winning the game of Daifugo against Reina, a short animation plays where she throws her remaining cards at you. First of all, I forgive you, sore loser. Secondly, this is a brilliant example of a transition without a jarring cut.

Without winning, you’d never know that the Reina you’re looking at has a readying animation. Her dark, lightless eyes watching you with a mood you can’t quite place. I got my achievement and moved on.

It’s Raining Somewhere Else

The Rain98 demo was painfully short, and I can’t wait for the 2027 full release. This game plays like a movie, so jarringly full of life despite how miserable Reina and the MC are. It’s an oxymoron tied neatly with a bow and then chucked into a river to drown.

The entire time I played, I was unnerved. Knowing that my very enjoyment of Reina’s company was edging closer to a world-ending event. Moments like looking at the boombox whilst Lo-fi tunes played from its static speakers, a rippling water effect dancing along the body of the humming player, reminded me of what I was doing here.

It’s claustrophobic, as though I’m drowning in the sorrows of Reina. The game rains, constantly. It subtly plasters the reflection of water ripples along the lived-in apartment. I sleep in a bath, and, of course, I’m sure there’s some purpose to Reina’s name pronunciation, including the word rain.

Many mysteries still await me in the full release, which I will, undoubtedly, be buying. I’m also really excited to hear about the official merchandise being made as a thank-you for the game hitting 100,000 wishlists on Steam. (Not sponsored, by the way. I actually do want the merch.)

I’m not sure what I’ve been trying to say in this feature, if it’s still truly considered that. I just hope this has been a nice spoiler(ish)-free read.

To conclude this love letter to Rain98, I leave all that remains with its official Steam link, where you can read up on more of the game and its themes, as well as drop it a wish. I’ll give you a sticker for your Angel Passport if you do.

The post I’ll Never Be The Same After The Rain98 Demo appeared first on Gamezebo.